F1 News – Toro Rosso make return to Ferrari engines for 2016

It has today been confirmed that Toro Rosso will run 2015 spec Ferrari engines for the 2016 season, whilst sister team Red Bull will be powered by Renault under the TAG Heuer brand.

It has long been known that this deal would take place having been on the cards for months, but it could only be officially sealed when the FIA overturned a ruling that had stated two different specifications of power unit could not be supplied by one manufacturer during a single season, earlier this week. The statement from the FIA on the ruling, read as follows:

“Power Units homologated in previous seasons may now be re-homologated. Previously no manufacturer could supply more than one specification of PU. The World Motor Sport Council was also advised that the FIA had agreed for Ferrari to supply a fourth customer team with a 2015-specification Power Unit in 2016.”

Once permission was granted, an agreement to run the prancing horse power unit was put into place that will allow the supply of the very last specification of engine used by Ferrari in the 2015 season. The deal reignites the successful partnership that ran between the two from 2007 to 2013 and brought the Scuderia title to the Faenza based teams name. In 2014 they switched to Renault power ahead of the current regulations being brought in, and have likely rued their decision ever since, having had a difficult time on the power unit front of late.

Toro Rosso Team boss Franz Tost, explained his delight at working with the Maranello based squad once again:

“It’s great to be working with Ferrari again. We had a fruitful relationship in the past and I’m sure it won’t take long for us all to be working together very well again.”

“It’s true that time will be very tight for us to be ready for the first test, but we have the right team of people for this and I’m confident that together we will achieve a competitive package for next year – bring on 2016!”

Toro Rosso have also confirmed that current drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, who both enjoyed a strong rookie season in 2015, will be retained for 2016. If this years development progress is anything to go by, we could realistically see the Red Bull junior team, out doing their parents next season!